Association between Adult Height and Risk of Colorectal, Lung, and Prostate Cancer:Results from Meta-analyses of Prospective Studies and Mendelian Randomization Analyses

Background Observational studies examining associations between adult height and risk of colorectal, prostate, and lung cancers have generated mixed results. We conducted meta-analyses using data from prospective cohort studies and further carried out Mendelian randomization analyses, using height-associated genetic variants identified in a genome-wide association study (GWAS), to evaluate the association of adult height with these cancers. Methods and Findings A systematic review of prospective studies was conducted using the PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases. Using meta-analyses, results obtained from 62 studies were summarized for the association of a 10-cm increase in height with cancer risk. Mendelian randomization analyses were conducted using summary statistics obtained for 423 genetic variants identified from a recent GWAS of adult height and from a cancer genetics consortium study of multiple cancers that included 47,800 cases and 81,353 controls. For a 10-cm increase in height, the summary relative risks derived from the meta-analyses of prospective studies were 1.12 (95% CI 1.10, 1.15), 1.07 (95% CI 1.05, 1.10), and 1.06 (95% CI 1.02, 1.11) for colorectal, prostate, and lung cancers, respectively. Mendelian randomization analyses showed increased risks of colorectal (odds ratio [OR] = 1.58, 95% CI 1.14, 2.18) and lung cancer (OR = 1.10, 95% CI 1.00, 1.22) associated with each 10-cm increase in genetically predicted height. No association was observed for prostate cancer (OR = 1.03, 95% CI 0.92, 1.15). Our meta-analysis was limited to published studies. The sample size for the Mendelian randomization analysis of colorectal cancer was relatively small, thus affecting the precision of the point estimate. Conclusions Our study provides evidence for a potential causal association of adult height with the risk of colorectal and lung cancers and suggests that certain genetic factors and biological pathways affecting adult height may also affect the risk of these cancers.
In a Mendelian randomisation study Pierce and colleagues show a genetic association between adult height and increased risk of colorectal and lung cancer.
Author Summary Why Was This Study Done? Several previous observational studies have examined the association between adult height and risk of cancers of the lung, colon/rectum, and prostate; however, it remains unclear whether adult height is indeed related to the risk of these cancers. What Did the Researchers Do and Find? We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies that examined the association between adult height and the risk of colorectal, lung, and prostate cancers. To overcome inherent limitations of observational study designs, we conducted Mendelian randomization analyses using genetic data generated from a large multi-center consortium study including 47,800 cases and 81,353 controls. In the meta-analysis of the prospective observational studies, we found a 12% increased risk of colorectal cancer, a 7% increased risk of prostate cancer, and a 6% increased risk of lung cancer for every ten-centimeter increase in height, and this increased risk was corroborated in the Mendelian randomization analyses for colorectal (58%) and lung cancer (10%). What Do These Findings Mean? Our study provides strong evidence for an association between adult height and risk of colorectal and lung cancer, and suggests that certain genetic and biological factors that affect height may also affect the risk of these cancers. However, our meta-analysis was limited to published studies, and the sample size for the Mendelian randomization analysis for colorectal cancer was relatively small, affecting the precision of the risk estimate.